Wheeled toy



H. D. ALLEN WHEELED TOY Filed July 27 Jul 24, 1934.

Patented July 24, 1934 UNITED STATES WHEELED TOY Harold D. Allen, EastHampton, Oonn., assignor to The Gong Bell Manufacturing Company, EastHampton, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July 27, 1933,Serial No. 682,878

8 Claims.

' My invention relates to electrically driven toys and an object of myinvention, among others, is the production of a toy of this typeprovided with means for automatically preventing consumption of electricenergy when the toy is not in operation.

'One form of a toy embodying my invention and in the construction anduse of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may beattained is illustrated. in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1is a side view of a toy embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a top view of the same. Figure 3 is a view in lengthwisesection on a plane denoted by'the' dotted line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a View in front elevation of my improved toy.

:Figure 5 is a View in cross-section on a plane 20 denoted by the dottedline 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail view showing a modified form of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing the numeral 6 denotes the body of myimproved toy which is constructed, preferably of metal, in the form ofashell with axles 7 supported in bearing ears 8 at the front and rearends of the structure. Wheels 9 are-provided to support the axles andthe body at the front and rear ends thereof.

A motor 10 of any desired construction is supported in any suitablemanner within the body, the shaft 11 of the motor having a pinion 12attached thereto in mesh with a gear 13 secured to the rear driving axle7 whereby the toyvehicle may be propelled along a surface.

Bars 14 secured to opposite sides of thebody project acrossthe spacetherein and clips 15 are secured to the bars intermediate their ends toreceive cells 16 of an electric battery of any suit- .able type, thecells being insertable through an opening in the bottom of the body orshell and into the spring clips 15 whereby they are retained inposition. A conductor supporting bar 1'7 is secured at its ends to theside parts of the body, extending across the space between said sides,and a conductor 18 is supported by said bar, being insulated therefromin any suitable manner as, for instance, by extending the rivetssecuring the conductor to the bar through openings in the bar enoughlarger than the rivets to prevent their contact with the bar. A contact19 at the end of the conductor 18 is spring pressed against a centralterminal 20 of a cell 16, and as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, thecells being electrically united in a common manner and the opposite endof the cell at the opposite end of the from the conductor 18 to oneterminal of the 6 motor 10, the opposite terminal of the motor beinggrounded as at 23 on the body of the toy; whereby the electric circuitextends from the terminal 20 of the battery by the connection describedto the motor, thence to the shell through the ground 23 and by a switch21 to the opposite terminal of the battery, from the ground comprisingthe frame.

A conductor 24 extends from the conductor 18' to a terminal 25 of aconductor bar26 projecting through opposite sides of the body andinsulated therefrom. A lamp supporting bar 27 is secured to the front 28of the body and lamps 29 are secured at opposite ends of said supportingbar which resiliently presses the terminals 30 of the lamps into contactwith the ends of the bar 26.

From this construction it will be noted that the electric circuitextends from the conductor 18 hereinbefore described to the bar 26, andfrom said bar to the central lamp terminals, and through the lampfilaments to the shells of the lamps, thereby being grounded on the lampsupporting bar attached to the vehicle body.

In playing with toys of this type a child does not appreciate the effectof a continuous drain on the battery when the toy may not be actuallyoperated, and it is therefore my purpose, as hereinbefore set out, toprovide means whereby upon contact with a foreign object, as a wall, aleg of furniture or the like, the electric circuit will be automaticallybroken, thereby terminating the action of the cells. In the particularconstruction herein shown, and which I have found to satisfactorilyserve my purpose, the switch 21 hereinbefore referred to is provided inthe form of a finger secured to and projecting from a switch bar 31rotatably mounted in the side parts of the body. Switch actuating arms32 are secured to said bar, projecting forwardly therefrom underneaththe bottom edge of the front part of the body, and as shown in Fig. 3,said arms having secured thereto at their forward ends a fender 33 whichis made to simulate the front fender bar of a regular automobile.

From the foregoing description it will now be observed that when the toyis driven, upon the fender 33 coming in contact with an article, theswitch bar 31 will be turned in its bearings, thereby causing the switch21 to be swung from engagement with the end of the battery '7 andconsequently breaking the circuit at this point which will extinguishthe lamps and also stop the operation of the motor. The contact 19presses the cells against the end of the switch 21 and when the latteris disengaged from said cells pressure of the contact 19 will move thecells forward, the front cell coming in contact with a stop 34 supportedby the bar 14, said stop being insulated from its support and as shownin Fig. 3 of the drawing. To start the motor in operation it is simplynecessary to swing the fender on its pivot, thereby moving the switch 21into contact with the end of the cell.

It may here be noted that the circuit is completed from the ground 23upon the frame through the switch bar 31, which is in contact with theframe, and the actuating arms 32 and the bar 21 to the front cell 16.

In the structure shown in Fig. 6 two batteries are employed onecomprising, as shown, a single cell 35 and the other comprising twocells 36. The single cell is to supply electricity to the lamps and thetwo cells 36 supply electricity to the motor 10. Otherwise thearrangement is practically the same as shown in preceding figures, therebeing, however, two switch bars 37 one for contact with the centralterminal of a cell of each battery and which comprises a groundtherefor. Each lamp is grounded on the frame. The circuit is from thebattery to the terminal on the insulated bar 26, from said bar to thecentral terminal of the lamp, through the filament thereof, to the shelland thence to the frame. The circuit for the other battery comprises aground switch bar 37, the cells, con-- ductor 18, contact 19, and Wireto the motor, from the motor to the ground.

I claim 1.v A toy vehicle including a body, an electrical devicesupported by said body, an electric circuit for operating said device,said circuit includin a movably mounted switch member, and meansconnected with said switch member and projecting outwardly of the normaldimensions of the vehicle to be carried into contact with a foreignobject to operate said switch member to open said circuit.

2. A toy vehicle including a body, an electrical device supported bysaid body, an electric circuit for operating said device, said circuitincluding a movably mounted switch member, and means connected with saidbody and projecting as a bumper for contact with a foreign object toopcrate said switch member to open said circuit.

3. A toy vehicle including a body, an electrical device supported bysaid body, an electric circuit for operating said device, said circuitineluding a cell supported by said body and a switch member movablymounted on said body for electrical contact with said cell, and meansconnected with said switch member and projecting outwardly of the normaldimensions of the vehicle to be carried into contact with a foreignobject to operate said switch member to open said circuit.

4. A toy vehicle including a body, an electrical device supported bysaid body, an electric circuit for operating said device, said circuitincluding a cell supported by said body, a switch member movably mountedon said body for electrical contact with said cell and a bar connectedwith said switch for operation thereof, and a bumper secured to said barand projecting in front of said body for operation of the switch to opensaid circuit.

5. A toy vehicle including a body, an electrical device supported bysaid body, an electric circuit for operating said device, said circuitincluding a movably mounted switch member, a cell for engagement by saidswitch member and a rotatable shaft supported by the body to which saidmember is secured, actuating arms secured to said shaf and a bumpersecured to said actuating arms in front of said body for operation ofsaid switch member to open said circuit.

6. A toy vehicle includ ng a body, a plurality of electrical devicessupported by said body, an electric circuit including said devices, acell and a switch member, a shaft rotatably mounted, said switch memberbeing secured to said shaft, actuating arms projecting from said shaft,and a bumper secured to the outer ends of said shaft in front of saidvehicle.

'7. A toy vehicle including a body, an electrical device supported bysaid body, and an electric circuit for operating said device, saidcircuit including a switch member having a part projecting outwardly ofthe normal dimensions of the vehicle and mounted for movement as aresult of cessation of movement of said vehicle when said projectingpart moves into engagement with a foreign object.

8. A toy vehicle including a body, an electrical device supported bysaid body, an electric circuit for operating said device, said circuitincluding a movably mounted switch member, and movably mounted meansoperatively connected with said switch member and projecting outwardlyof the normal dimensions of the vehicle for operation thereof as aresult of cessation of movement of said vehicle when said movablymounted means moves into engagement with a foreign object.

' HAROLD D. ALLEN.

